The US Air Force is searching for find companies able to design and build a three-phase UPS that provides 480VAC power to a 100 kVA load facility for at least 30 minutes.
The US Air Force’s Life Cycle Management Center (LCMC) at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio said power electronics firms responding should specify that their products meet necessary specifications and provide detailed product information to show clear technical compliance. Sales history including recent commercial companies sold to also should be included.
For voltage and phasing, the UPS should provide source input and destination output three-phase voltage at 480 volts AC, and the phase of the output voltage should match the phase of the incoming voltage, according to Military & Aerospace Electronics.
The unit’s battery back should be externally vented lead acid (flooded); have seismic zone 2 racks made of either fiberglass or metal triple; be painted with epoxy paint; have connection hardware and an acid abatement trap under rack; have at least a 20-year life expectancy; and be able to provide at least 100 kVA at the end of its 20-year life.
The design calculations for the batteries should contain a design margin of 15% and an aging factor of 25%.
The UPS itself should be able to handle phase imbalance; voltage droop or current droop less than 5%; harmonics voltage and current less than 5%; float equalizer output for the batteries; solid-state transfer switch internal to switch power; external maintenance bypass to be operated manually and when the solid state transfer switch is actuated; and summary alarm outputs in the form of relay outputs.
Warranty of equipment should be at least one year, and class 1 ozone depleting substances (ODS) must not be used. Air Force officials caution that this is not a formal solicitation, and no contract will result directly from this RFI.
Companies interested should email no later than 24 May 2013 to the US Air Force’s Emmeline Spaulding at emmeline.spaulding@us.af.mil
